Apparatus for improving hot strip mill processing
OwnerDavid T. Blazevicinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for processing steel strips in a hot strip mill includes an apparatus and method for removing the oxide layer in the finishing mill process such that the final thickness of the oxide layer is much less than previously possible. In order to reduce the thickness of the oxide layer, the invention provides for the removal of oxide scales from the surface of the steel strips at a distance in front of the working rolls of the finishing mill that minimizes the time the strip is exposed to ambient conditions after it is descaled and before it is received between the pair of working rolls. By minimizing this exposure time, the thickness of the oxide layers in the finished strips is substantially reduced.
Claims27
In a hot strip mill, a system for descaling an oxide layer on strips as they are delivered to a finishing mill, said system comprising:
- means for supporting said strips as they leave a previous mill and move toward said finishing mill;
- guide means associated with said supporting means for centering said strips as they enter said finishing mill;
- a pair of cooperating work rolls comprising said finishing mill for receiving said strips from said supporting means;
- said guide means being located upstream relative to the direction of motion of said strips from said pair of cooperating work rolls such that a predetermined distance separates said pair of cooperating work rolls from the closest portion of said guide means;
- and
- a descaling means for removing an oxide layer from said strips prior to their engaging said pair of cooperating work rolls, said descaling means positioned within said predetermined distance so as to be immediately adjacent an upstream side of said pair of cooperating work rolls and downstream of said guide means, such that said strips experience a minimum buildup of a new oxide layer after descaling by said descaling means and before entry into said finishing mill, resulting in the minimization of the thickness of the oxide layer formed on the strips after they are processed by said finishing mill.
In a hot strip mill operation, an apparatus for minimizing the oxide layer formed on the surfaces of elongated steel strips, said apparatus comprising:
- a pair of work rolls forming a nip that receives said elongated steel strips;
- descaling means located immediately adjacent an upstream side of said pair of work rolls for delivering descaling fluid to said elongated steel strips such that substantially all of said descaling fluid and oxide scales mixed therein are deflected upstream from the area said descaling fluid impacts said elongated strips;
- and
- first means for centering the head ends of said elongated steel strips on a delay table which directs said elongated steel strips into said nip between said work rolls, said first means exclusively located upstream of said descaling means, thereby enabling said descaling means to be located immediately adjacent the upstream side of said pair of work rolls.
An apparatus for minimizing the oxide layer formed on the surfaces of elongated steel strips during the processing of said strips in a hot strip mill, said apparatus comprising in combination:
- a pair of work rolls forming a nip that receives said elongated steel strips;
- descaling means located immediately adjacent an upstream side of said pair of work rolls relative to the direction of motion of said elongated steel strips for delivering descaling fluid to said elongated steel strips such that substantially all of said descaling fluid and oxide scales mixed therein are deflected upstream from the area said descaling fluid impacts said elongated strips;
- first means for centering the head ends of said elongated steel strips on a delay table which directs said elongated steel strips into said nip between said work rolls, said first means exclusively located upstream of said descaling means, thereby enabling said descaling means to be located immediately adjacent the upstream side of said pair of work rolls;
- and
- said first means including means for allowing cambered areas of said elongated steel strips following said head ends to move away from a centered position on said delay table and thereby maintain said head ends in their centered positions as they enter said nip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.